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Location 42 · West Bohemia, Czechia

Karlovy Vary

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Karlovy Vary

A Czech spa town played Montenegro, and its grandest hotel played the Hotel Splendide.

Why go

A spa town of hot springs and grand hotels, founded by Emperor Charles IV in the 1300s. Today it hosts one of Europe's oldest film festivals.

The place

The hot spring

The town grew around a spring that bursts out at about 72°C, the Vřídlo. Legend says Emperor Charles IV found it while hunting in the 1300s.

A film town anyway

Karlovy Vary has held an international film festival since 1946, centred on the Hotel Thermal. Stars still arrive by the Pupp.

The shoot: Casino Royale (2006)

Montenegro: the Hotel Splendide and the poker game.

Montenegro in Bohemia

In Casino Royale (2006), Bond and Vesper arrive at the Hotel Splendide for the high-stakes poker game. The hotel is the Grandhotel Pupp, at the end of Karlovy Vary's river promenade.

The casino

The grand Imperial Spa (Kaiserbad) building stood in for the outside of the Casino Royale itself. The card room itself was built on a sound stage.

More: every Casino Royale location.

Stand here

In front of the Grandhotel Pupp at the end of the colonnaded river promenade.

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Quick answers

Where in Czechia was Casino Royale filmed?

Karlovy Vary, West Bohemia, Czechia. Montenegro: the Hotel Splendide and the poker game.

Where exactly should I stand at Karlovy Vary?

In front of the Grandhotel Pupp at the end of the colonnaded river promenade.

How do I get to Karlovy Vary?

About 2 hours by bus from Prague. Danube House, Dryden's office in the opening, is in Prague's Karlín district.

When is the best time to visit Karlovy Vary?

Early July for the film festival, or a crisp winter's day.

How long should I allow at Karlovy Vary?

Allow 2 days. Free to walk. Spa treatments and the hotel restaurant are paid.

Can I visit Karlovy Vary for free?

Free to walk. Spa treatments and the hotel restaurant are paid.

Visit

Best: Early July for the film festival, or a crisp winter's day. Access: Free to walk. Spa treatments and the hotel restaurant are paid. Getting there: About 2 hours by bus from Prague. Danube House, Dryden's office in the opening, is in Prague's Karlín district.

Taste: Karlovy Vary spa wafers (oplatky) and a small glass of Becherovka, the town's herbal liqueur.